Traveling grate incinerator



Feb. 16, 1965 R. c. RIVERS 3,169,498

TRAVELING GRATE INCINERATOR Filed March 14, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 aggma 1 mmvmmmmwmmm a11mlmununlml mm..........- 7" lllllllllll INVENTOR. Russell C. Rivers H 1 Tney Feb. 16, 1965 R. c. RIVERS TRAVELING GRATE INCINERATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 14, 1961 INVENTOR. Russell C. Rivers H or e51 Feb. 16, 1965 R. c. RIVERS TRAVELING GRATE INCINERATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 14, 1961 INVENTOR. Russell CRiUe'r-s H o neg Feb. 16, 1965 R. c. RIVERS 3,169,498

TRAVELING GRATE INCINERATOR Filed March 14, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 l- 95 TQE IOI 94 I l I F DIE INVENTOR. Russell C. Rivers K N .02 HI 4 O ney United States Patent 3,169,498 TRAVELING GRATE INCINERATOR Russell C. Rivers, Boyiston, Mass., assignor to Riley Stoker Corporation, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Mar. 14, 1961, Ser. No. 95,667 2 Claims. (Cl. 110-15) This invention relates to an incinerator and more particulmly to apparatus arranged to burn refuse on a traveling grate.

It is common practice to dispose of refuse, such as garbage and rubbish, by burning it and the traveling grate is ideally suited for this purpose because of its self-cleaning function. However, the burning of such material on a traveling grate presents problems that are not encountered in the burning of ordinary fuel by this method. For instance, the nature of the material that may arrive at an incinerator is not only unpredictable but of wide variety and the gate may be subjected to high mechanical stresses due to heavy objects being dropped upon the grate. Furthermore, any number of meltable materials may reach the grate and present problems. In the past, difficulty has been experienced with materials dropping between the sides of the grate and the walls of the furnace and thereby clogging the mechanism by a wedging action. Also, despite the greatest caution, it is common in grates of this type for the grate clips to break or burn out; for that reason it is neces sary to provide for their rapid replacement. In addition, accurate control of the division of air to the various parts of the grate is quite irnportant. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.

it is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide an incinerator of a novel unitary construction.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an incinerator of a simple rugged construction which is capable of burning refuse and which minimizes the possibility of breakage or stoppage of the apparatus due to the nature of unusual objects contained in the refuse.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a traveling grate having a novel means of preventing material from wedging between the edges of a grate and the adjacent walls.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a traveling grate having a novel and accurate means for controlling air flow to the various zones of the grate.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a traveling grate having a novel means for quickly re moving and replacing grate clips.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an incinerator having a novel ducting arrangement for air to the various zones.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference to one of its structural forms, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an incinerator incorporating the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a portion of the invention showing the manner of attachment of the grate clips to the chain;

16. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus at FIG. 3 in assembled condition;

. shaft associated with the idler sprockets '37.

3,169,498 Patented Feb. 16, 1965 FIG. 5 is a view from beneath the apparatus shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line VIVI of FIG. 4;

. FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a horizontal sectional view of the invention taken on the line VIHVHI of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus taken on the line lX1X of FIG. 8.

Referring first to FIG. 1, which shows the general features of the invention, the incinerator, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, is shown as consisting of a furnace 11 and a grate 12. The furnace is provided with a hopper 13 into which refuse and garbage is dumped and a chute 14 extends downwardly therefrom toward the grate 12. The furnace is provided with a roof is and a floor 16 joined by side walls 17 and 18, the walls defining a combustion chamber 19 at the bottom of which lies the grate 12. At the end of the combustion chamber opposite the chute 14 is an ash pit 21 into which the grate discharges. At the end of the combustion chamber is arranged a fire wall 22 over which gas passes on its way to a stack (not shown). The grate 12 consists of a conditioning section 23 and a burning section 24- both of which are chain grates. The burning section underlies the combustion chamber 19 and rests on the floor in, while the conditioning section 23 underlies the chute 14 at one end and its other end extends downwardly adjacent the upper surface of the burning section. The upper end of the conditioning section 23 rests on a supporting structure 25 and from this end extends a dust hopper 26. At its other end the conditioning section rests on an abutment 27 extending upwardly from the end of the burning section 24. Three channel beams 28 extend across the conditioning section 23 and divide it into a number of air zones each of which is provided with a damper 29. In a similar manner the burning section 24 is provided with deep I-channels 31 dividing the space between the upper and lower runs of the chain grate into a series of air zones 79 each of which is provided with its own damper 32. The conditioning section 23 is provided with an endless grate 33 which extends around idler sprockets 34 at one end and driven sprockets 35 at the other end. In a similar manner the burning section 24 is provided with an endless grate 35 which extends around idler sprockets 37 at one end and driven sprockets 38 at the other end.

Referring now to FIG. 2, which shows a perspective View of the burning section 24, it can be seen that the apparatus is provided with steel side walls 39 and 41 between which the endless grate 35 lies. At one end of the wall 39 is mounted a bearing 42 carrying the shaft on which is mounted the driven sprockets 3%, while at the other end the wall supports a bearing 43 and the Similar bearings are mounted in the other wall 41. The wall 39 is provided with clean-out doors 44. Mounted on top of the side wall 39 is an abutment 45 having an inclined upper surface as on which the conditioning section 23 rests. The side wall 4-1 is provided with the abutment 27 having an inclined upper surface 48 to carry the lower end of the conditioning section. The wall 4-1 and the abutment 27 are both constructed as hollow ducts and serve to carry air to the conditioning and burning sections. A seal 49 extends from side to side between the two abutments 45 and 27 and extend vertically between the conditioning section 23 and the surface of the burning section 24.

FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 show the manner in which the endless chain 36 is constructed. A grate bar 51 is provided with a number of grate clips 52 and is fastened to a chain 53. The grate bar slides over horizontal beams 54 which extend the length of the grate from one sprocket to the other. The grate bar 51 is formed from an I-beam having an upper flange 55 and a lower flange 5:: with an intermediate web 57. It is provided with two downwardlydirected channel sections 58 and 59 in which are fastened shoes 61 and 47 of hardened material adapted to rest on the upper surface of the beams 54 and slide therealong. The grate clips are provided with T-slots 6%) which permit them to slide and lock on the upper flange 55 of the grate bar; the clips are formed with air passages in the usual manner of traveling grate clips. Adjacent each end the bar is provided with a wide unapertured clip 2 and at the extreme end it is provided with a special apertured clip 63. This clip is formed to cover the end of the bar and is suitably apertured in a downwardly-depending.

Web 71 for fastening to an apertured plate at the end of the bar. A pin 72 locks the clip in place, as is evident in the drawings, and a cotter pin holds this pin in place. Removal of the pin, therefore, is very readily accomplished for removal and replacement of the grate clips. The grate bar is provided with a cutout 65 in which the chain 53 resides. The links 66 and 67 of the chain are provided with apertured lugs 63 and 69, respectively. Suitable matching apertures are made in the immediate web 57 of the grate bar and the chain is in this manner fastened to the grate bar. It should be noted that the lugs are located on the side of the grate bar facing away from the direction in which the chain moves to provide a proper driving force of the chain upon the grate bar.

FIG. 6 shows an enlarged view of a section of the grate looking in the direction of movement of the chain along the line Vl-Vl of 51G. 4. It should be particularly observed the manner in which the vertically-depending web 71 of the clip 63 is attached to the plate 64 of the grate bar by means of the readily releasable pin 72. The presence of the apertures 73 are particularly evident in this view. The driven sprocket wheel 38 is shown as engaging chain 53 and it is particularly evident in this figure the manner in which the links 66 and 67 are provided with lugs 68 and 6% which press against the rearward side of the intermediate web 57. Also, overlying the clip 63 is a ledger plate 7d which will be described more fully hereinafter.

FIG. 7, which is a section through the Wall 41 of the apparatus, shows that the wall 41 is actually a duct having a top wall 75, a bottom wall 75, and outer wall 77, and an inner wall 78. The inner wall 78 is provided with a large aperture 79 across which resides the damper 32, the aperture leading to an air zone 70 underlying the grate. Across the aperture 7% extends a bridge 81 which acts as a support for the inner end of a control rod 83 which is also carried in a bearing 82 mounted on the outer wall 77. The damper 32 is shown in its open position as dotted and with the reference numeral 32. The outer wall, incidentally, is provided with an accessdoor 84. Surrounding the control rod $3 and welded to the damper 32 is a tube 85 which extends through the bushing 82 in the wall 77 and is carried thereby. The control rod 83 is threaded and engages a nut 86 welded within the tube 85. The outer end of the control rod is provided with a hand wheel 87 which is keyed to it. Fastened to the wall 77 is a pointer 83 and formed in the outer surface of the tube; particularly in the area of the wall 77 are shallow grooves 39 which are filled with paint to give an indication to the operator of the position of the damper aided by the pointer The interior of the wall 41, which acts as an air duct, is connected to the force draft fan (not shown) of the furnace so that the entire length of the wall 41 is provided with air under pressure. This wall, in turn, is connected to the hollow abutment 27 so that air passes therethrough to the interior of the conditioning section 23.

In FIGS. 8 and .9 are shown the details of construction of the ledger plate 74 and a corresponding opposite ledger plate @1 on the other side of the grate. As is evident in FIG. 9, the ledger plate 91 overlies the wall 39 of the apparatus, while the ledger plates 74 overlie the Wall 41 which, since it'is in the form of a duct, is quite wide. g between the wall 39 and the wall '7 8 is the burning section which, for the purpose of conserving space in the drawing, is almost completely broken away. Overlying the wall 41 is the wall 17 of the furnace, while the site wall 23 overlies the wall 39 and the ledger plates The upper edge of the wall 3? is provided with an angle iron 92 which lies inspac-ed parallel relationship with the lower surface 93 at the wall 13 of the furnace. Between the upper surface of the angle iron 92 and the lower surface d3 of the wall extend separating members 9 5 and 95 which are welded to the upper surface of the angle iron The ledger plate 931 is provided with deep slots i s: at the edge which extends into the furnace and is provided at its rearward portion with notches 97 and )8 by which it is drawn back against the separating members and 5. A plate 99 extends between the outer ends of the separating members 94 and 95 and through the plate extend bolts Till and H92 whose heads reside in recesses 163 and 104, respectively in the ledger plate 91. Pulling up on the nuts on the bolts 101 and 102 will pull the ledger plate back against the separating members 94 and 95. it can be seen, then, that the spaces between the wall 13 and the angle iron 92, particularly between the supporting members 94 and 95 constitutes a horizontal slot in which the ledger plate 91 resides and which it is possible to use in odrer to release the ledger plate from the outside of the wall, It is necessary, of course, to remove the ledger plate from the furnace side, but it can be tightened up or loosened from the outside of the furnace. Generally speaking, the bolts 191 and 102 will not be pulled up tightly, but will be locked in place to loosely hold the ledger plate so that the ledger plate may lie in the slot in a loose condition and its furnace edge may rest upon the grate rather than be held rigidly relative thereto. In a similar way, the space between the wall 41 of the grate and the wall 317 of the furnace is divided into a number of slots by separating members Hi5 and 130. The ledger plate 74 is exactly similar to the ledger plate 971 and is provided with slots in its inner edge and notches at its rearward edge which are drawn back against the inner ends of the se arating members 195 and 1%. Elongated bolts 1:77 and 1% lie in recesses in the ledger plate 74 and pull it bacl: against the separating members. A plate id? is fastened across the outer ends of the separating members and the bolts 1%? and 16% pass through this plate and are rawn up against it by suitable nuts.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An incinerator for refuse, comprising a furnace, a conditioning section in the furnace upon which the refuse is first introduced, the conditioning section having an inclined traveling grate, a burning section in the furnace, the burning section having a horizontal traveling grate, vertical legs supporting the lower end of the inclined grate in a position overlying one end of the horizontal grate, both grates having air chambers, at least one of the legs being in the form of a conduit joining the two air chambers and means for introducing combustion air into one of the chambers, at least part of the combustion air passing through the said one of the legs to the other chamber.

2. A traveling grate, comprising a bar adapt d to extend transversely of the direction of travel, the bar having a laterally-extending flange and a vertical web extending downwardly therefrom, a series of grate clips mounted on the bar, each clip having a T-shaped slot normally occupied by the flange and web, an endless chain having pairs of links, the Web having a downwardly-facing slat, the pair of links normally lying in spaced parallel relationship in the slot, each link having a lug extending laterally thereof and having a substantial vertical surface which lies against the web adjacent the slot to transmit a driving force from the links to the bar, and means connecting each lug to the web.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 420,971 Sheppard Feb. 11, 1890 520,800 Matthews Nov. 27, 1894 575,092 Allen et al. Ian. 12, 1897 755,662 Hill Mar. 29, 1904 55 Smea-d .Tuly 11, Poppenhusen et a. Sept. 8, McKenzie Nov. 13, Henry Sept. 9, Duncan Dec. 9, Duncan Apr. 29, Duncan Jan. 17, Johnson May 24, Krogh et a1. Ian. 6, Wallene Feb. 27, Ferro et al Sept. 13, Boron Oct. 11,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. '28, 

1. AN INCINERATOR FOR REFUSE, COMPRISING A FURNACE, A CONDITIONING SECTION IN THE FURNACE UPON WHICH THE REFUSE IS FIRST INTRODUCED, THE CONDITIONING SECTION HAVING AN INCLINED TRAVELING GRATE, A BURNING SECTION IN THE FURNACE, THE BURNING SECTION HAVING A HORIZONTAL TRAVELING GRATE, VERTICAL LEGS SUPPORTING THE LOWER END OF THE INCLINED GRATE IN A POSITION OVERLYING ONE END OF THE HORIZONTAL GRATE, BOTH GRATES HAVING AIR CHAMBERS, AT LEAST ONE OF THE LEGS BEING IN THE FORM OF A CONDUIT JOINING THE TWO AIR CHAM- 